For seven years, White Pigeon K-9 Blesk served the residents of St. Joseph and surrounding counties.

Earlier this week, he passed away.

“Blesk wasn’t just a K-9, he was a fixture in our community,” said Dan Czajkowski, White Pigeon village president. “I think he set the standard for K-9 programs.”

Blesk began his tour in 2001 and was retired in 2008.

“Blesk was an amazing dog,” said John McDonough, St. Joseph County prosecutor. “He was extremely dependable when searching for drugs.”

Among his notable finds were, in 2002 during a traffic stop, he located 68 grams of methamphetamine, 100 grams of marijuana and 50 grams of cocaine.

But his capability went beyond drug searches. Blesk was known for his tracking skills. In summer 2006, he helped find a lost child in a corn field near Constantine. He once found a distraught woman in Cass County after a two-hour track. Blesk also located a missing woman in Purgatory who got lost while mushroom hunting.

He also was credited with locating $35,000 that was hidden in a semi-truck.

When not on duty, Blesk was a common guest at local schools. He did searches, but was a favorite at elementary schools.

“Off the job, he was a gentle loving dog that was wonderful to children at countless community events,” McDonough said. “We were blessed to have Blesk as part of our law enforcement community and continue to be blessed to have one of the best K-9 handlers in the state in our community in Sgt. Bill Burgoyne.

“I know how much Blesk meant to the Burgoyne family and my heart goes out to them,” McDonough added.